Firearm



-13u30, 1930./ -v c, J JEFFERSON. 1,787,004

FIREARM Filed Feb. l1. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet I www " f IN1/Ewan Dec. 30, 1930. c. J. JEFFERSON FIREARM Filed Feb. 11, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec.Y 30, 1930 Mgmt@ CHARLES J. JEFFERSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO J. STEVENS ARMS COMPANY, A CORPORATON GF MASSACHUSETTS FIBEARM The object is to improve the construction of fire arms which are hinged to break open at the breech for loading; more specifically to improve the mechanism which serves to 5 lock the gun closed; and still more specifically to utilize this mechanism as a means of guiding or supporting the hammer mechanism, thereby simplifying the construction and economizing labor and weight. Heretofore it has been customary to maintain the alignment between the hammer, and its spring or spring plunger, by means'of Aspecial abutment faces provided inside the receiver or frame. According to this invention these i5 abutments may be eliminated, and this cus tomary function of such abutments is performed by the link which forms the operating connection between the top-snap or thumbpiece and the locking bolt. Such link so for this purpose is now designed as a yoke or two-limbed member embracing or enclosing the hammer and the spring plunger on both sides, and efl'ectually preventing displacement of the latter and at the same time 25 permitting the practical employment` of a plunger head which produces a desirable rebound effect independently of the trigger, as presently disclosed. Adjustment of the position of the top-snap or thumbpiece is secured by a thread bolt on the locking-bolt or latch.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation at the frame of a breakdown shot gun embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same gun. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on approximately the broken line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is another sectional elevation at frame of the same gun, but showing the gun open and the locking mechanism in unlocked position. Fig. 5 is a detail of the actuator for the yoke or locking bolt link, the parts being shown disassembled for clarity of illustration. Fig. 6 is a perspective of the yoke.

The drawings illustrate the invention applied to a conventional type of break-down shot gun. The hollow frame or receiver 1 is attached to the stock 2 as usual, and the barrel 3 is hinged on the cross bolt 5 to the forward end of the frame, so that the gun may be opened as usual. The ejector 7, locking bolt keeper 8 on the rear end of the barrel, and the firing pin 9 will be recognized. The hammer 12 is pivoted in the frame at 13, projecting at its upper end through a longitudinal slot 14 in the top of the frame 1. The cooking notch for the hammer is at 15, and the notch for half-cocked at 16. The trigger 17 is pivoted in the trigger plate or lower wall of the frame 1 in the usual man ner, and as usual its spring 18 urges its upper end into engagement with the hammer. The hammer spring 21 is carried on a plunger 22 telescoping with a sleeve 23, which is seated by its pointed end 2e upon the rear wall of the receiver. The plunger head 25 bears against the hammer 12, being unattached to it, and has its heel portion so arranged that after firing it restores the hammer automatically to the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the trigger engages the half-cock notch 16.

The locking member is a bolt or a latch 28, hung at 27 between the side walls of the receiver and so arranged that its lower end snaps into engagement with the arc-shaped seat of the keeper 8 to hold the gun closed. The locking bolt is coupled to its operator, the thumb-lever or top snap 29 at the top of the frame, by means of the special connecting link or yoke 30 above referred to and which is separately shown in Fig. 6. This yoke may be formed from sheet metal if desired and is connected to the top snap hub or pivot 31 through the agency of a disc 32 sleeved on the hub with a notch 33 to receive a lugV 34 formed on the lower edge of the yoke, see Figs. 5 and 6, the sleeved disc being secured non-rotatably to the end of pivot 31 as plainly shown in Fig. 5. The screw 36 holds the sleeved disc in place on the hub and the disc holds the yoke on the hub between itself and the top wall of the receiver. Rotation of the top snap thus reciprocates the yoke upon the sleeve which it .fits snugly, and thereby act-naties the bolt 28 to which the arms of the yoke are pivoted by screws, 37. In this manner the yoke link 30 is safely retained against sidewise movement, that is, by its engagement with the locking bolt 28 and by its Vthe top snap.

engagement with the disc sleeve which it embraces. rilhe front and rear parts of the Vyoke link are relatively offset, the front end being low to pass under the hammer pivot pin 13 and the rear being higher for connection to rThe oblique middle part,

marked 38, flanks the plungerv head 25 and in such close proximity thereto on both sides as toforestall any possibility of lateral displacementrelatively to the hammer. By

this means, any need of internal abutm faces on the frame l, t0 guide the han Spring, is done away with as of course the machining thereof which is a costly operation, and the plungerhead 25 maybe litted to the hammerso asV to hold it normallyin half-cock position without being fastenedto the hammer.

The spring 39 urges the yoke link and'locking bolt 28 forward, and the top snap-lever toward the locked or center position. VThe limit of vthis'movement is determined'rby the Aset-'screw ll0, carried by the locking boit 28,

and which strikes the lip or wall il of the frame, and by the adjustn'ient-of such screw the lockingrbolt 28is made to'come to its correct resting place on thelocking bolt keeper.

I claim: Y l. In a firearm, the combination with theY frame, a barrel hinged to the frame onv a horizontal axis, a hammer pivoted to the frame, and hammer-spring means bearing against the hammer, of locking means'to lock the barrelin firingrelation to the frame andY confine the hammer spring onthe hammer, said means including a lockoperating yoke within the frame extendingrearwardly from adjacent therear end ofthe barrel and passing close to theA hammenspring means at both sides thereof adjacentthebearing of the hammer-spring means on the hanufner.V

2.-- In a-firearm, the combination with the frame, a barrel hinged to the fra-me on a horizontal axis, a hammer pivoted' within the frame', a hammer-spring plunger, the head of which bearsagainst the hammer, and a inl iring relation tothe frame and con ne the hammer-spring plunger head to the harnmer-saidmeans including a yoke Within the frame extending-rearwardly from adjacent the rearendof the barrel, and passing on bothfsides of and'close to the said plunger head.

3. In a firearm, the combination with the frame, a barrel hinged to the frame on a horizontalaxis, a hammer pivoted to theframe, and hammer-spring means bearing against the hammer to hold it in partly-cocked position, of-a lockingvmeans to lock the barrel in firing relation to the frame and confine said hammer-spring means on the hammer, said'locking means including a lock-operating-yoke within the frame extending rearwardly from adjacent the rear end of the barrel, and passing on both VYsides of the ham Vmer-and iianking the hammer-spring means 'frame to lock the barrelin firing relation to the frame, an operating link therefor extending rearwardly from said bolt, a finger piece external of theY frame connected to said link,V and adjustablemeans cooperating with the locking bolt to limit the movement of the locking bolt in the locking direction;

5. The subject'matter of claimfl', characterized by the fact'that said adjustable means. isa threaded bolt carried by the. locking bolt and the threaded bolt is arranged to strike a part carried by the frame to limitthe Inove-v ment of the locking bolt inthe lockingdirece tion. Y

6. In a firearm, the combination with the frame, a barrel hingcdthereto,v and ahammer pivot/edV withinthe frame, of af=locking bolt hinged within theframey to lockthe barrel in firing relation to the frame, azpivotedtop Y snap lever on the top wallof'the-frame, and a'yokelink extending under thehammerpiv ot with tlieends'of its-two :arms'pivota'llytate tachedto said bolt and vits. other end embracing the hub of said lever-,.andheldthereby against said fra-me top wall.

7 In a firearm, the combi-nation with the frame, a barrel hinged to .the frame Ona/hor-A izontaliaxis, a pivoted hammenwithin the frame, of hammer-spring means.` bearing; against the hammer, alocking bolt for the barrel, a yoke extending rearwardly 'theref from below the hammer pivot and thence'to` Ward the top Wall ofthe frame, .the middle portions ofrthe two arms of thefyoke'lying. at opposite sides of. said haanmerespring means, and awfinger lever on the. top wallaof the frame connected to reciprocate said'fyokeito operate the locking bolt.'l

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8. The subjectimatter offclaim 7g-charac i 

